Bittersweet: Paul & Linda — 40 anos

Tivessem Deus e a vida sido mais generosos, Paul e Linda teriam celebrado ontem o seu 40.º aniversário de casamento, as suas bodas de rubi. Eram, foram demasiado felizes — os deuses, ciumentos de tanta harmonia, quiseram separá-los, cortar brutalmente aquele amor that should have lasted years. Depois da morte de Linda, Paul contou que, em quase trinta anos de casamento, tinham passado apenas duas noites separados.

Passo a reproduzir a entrevista que os recém-casados deram, no dia seguinte, faz hoje 40 anos, antecedida por um texto que também acho importante (retirado daqui). De caminho, ponho imagens das fãs descabeladas que choram baba e ranho (nunca conseguirei perceber isto) ao saberem do casamento, e do casal, num circo mediático abominável, num dia que devia ser só dos dois, a tentar entrar num carro.

Notas prévias à entrevista:

ABOUT THIS INTERVIEW

On March 12^th 1969, Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Registry Office, Westminster. The scene was chaos as the press and hundreds of weeping teenage girls swarmed the grounds.

The wedding began one hour late due to Paul's best man, his brother Mike, being delayed on British Railways. Linda's six-year-old daughter Heather was the bridesmaid.

According to BBC reports, following the ceremony at the Marylebone Registry Office, Paul and Linda made their way through the crowd and were driven away to a local parish church where the marriage was blessed.

The following filmed interview took place after their wedding breakfast the next morning on March 13th. Following two days of work for Paul, the couple honeymooned and visited Linda's family in America.

Paul and Linda would be married for 29 years. Together they raised four children — Heather, Stella, Mary, and James. One year after their wedding, the Beatles would officially announce that the group had split up. Paul and Linda would go on to form the successful 1970's pop group, Wings. The couple remained happily married until Linda's passing following her brave fight with breast cancer in 1998.

— Jay Spangler, Beatles Ultimate Experience

A entrevista:
Q: "Congratulations. How did you enjoy your wedding breakfast?"

PAUL: "Fine, thank you. Lovely, yes."

Q: "The wedding was delayed an hour. What happened then?"

PAUL: "Mike. Brother Mike was on British Railways again. So he got held up. And he was best man, so we waited for him."

Q: "When did you decide to get married, Paul?"

PAUL: "About a week ago."

Q: "What prompted it?"

PAUL: "Just, you know, we decided to do it instead of thinking about it."

Q: "Linda, how do you feel about it? You're obviously terribly happy. How are you feeling this morning?"

LINDA: "Very happy. (pause, then jokingly) Unquote."

Q: "Linda, you've been described as a New York socialite. Does this mean you'll be spending much of your time in New York?"

LINDA: "No."

Q: "Where would you be living?"

LINDA: "In London."

Q: "In London. Paul, what about you, how do you feel to be the father of a six year old?"

PAUL: (jokingly, playfully making faces with Linda's daughter, Heather) "It's terrible. It's terrible. I hate it, I hate it. It's going to be a terrible burden. You're on the telly, you're on the telly. Come here."

Q: "Are you going on honeymoon anywhere?"

PAUL: "We may get away in a couple of days but I've got some work and stuff still to do."

Q: "So that gets you away from your honeymoon?"

PAUL: "It does, yeah."

Q: "Where were you going to go to when you..."

PAUL: "I don't know. Haven't thought of anything yet."

Q: "What are you going to do for the rest of the day? You're going to have a celebration later perhaps?"

PAUL: "Yeah, I'll take a bit of a rest first. It's been a bit hectic."

Q: "Many of the fans, the girls that were waiting outside the house and outside the hotel today, seem to be more than upset about this. What do you feel?"

PAUL: "I don't know what I feel about that, you know. What do you say to that?"

A música escolhida para esta data? Não foi fácil, que a felicidade só tem história para quem a viveu a dois. Seria cruel, seria desumano pôr agora When I'm Sixty-Four (provavelmente a canção de amor feliz — e são raras — mais feliz da história da Música): a idade a que Linda não chegou, a idade a que Paul chegou sozinho, quando devia tê-la tido ao lado. Optei por The Long and Winding Road, por me parecer haver aqui muito do que Paul terá sentido muitas vezes, incontáveis vezes, depois de Linda lhe ter sido levada:

«(...) The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way

Many times I've been alone
And many times I've cried
Any way you'll never know
The many ways I've tried...

But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door...»